Importance of First Ten Days of Zil Hajj and Sacrifice

Importance of the Month of ZulHajjah

Hajj is performed in this month.

The first ten days of ZulHajjah are extremely sacred and good deeds are most beloved to Allah in these ten days.

The Prophet said, “No good deeds done on other days are superior to those done on these (first ten days of Dhal Hajja).” Then some companions of the Prophet said, “Not even Jihad?” He replied, “Not even Jihad”, except that of a man who does it by putting himself and his property in danger (for Allah’s sake) and does not return with any of those things.”(Bukhari 15: 86)

9th ZulHajja is a very sacred day. When asked about fasting on the of Zul Hajjaj (Yaum e Arafah) Rasool Allah saw said: “It expiates the sins of the preceding year and the coming year”(Muslim 6: 2603)

The second Muslim festival Eid ul Adha falls on the 10th of ZulHajjah.

An animal sacrifice, in memory of the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim (as) is offered on 10th ZulHajjah.

Importance of Sacrifice:

Sacrifice has not been made obligatory by Allah Tala, however it has the status of being Obligatory Sunnah ( Sunnat e Wjiba). Through this act, pleasure of Allah is obtained and also results in atonement of sins!

Sacrifice has been commanded to the people in all the revealed laws (Shariat) since the time of Prophet Adam (as) to Prophet Muhammad (as).

Allah Tala mentioned this sunnah in beautiful words in Surah Safaat:And he (Ibrhaim as) said (after his rescue from the fire): “Verily, I am going to my Lord. He will guide me!” “My Lord! Grant me (offspring) from the righteous.” So We gave him the glad tidings of a forbearing boy. And, when he (his son) was old enough to walk with him, he said: “O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you (offer you in sacrifice to Allâh), so look what you think!” He said: “O my father! Do that which you are commanded, Inshâ’ Allâh (if Allâh will), you shall find me amongst the patient ones.

Then, when they had both submitted themselves (to the Will of Allâh), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead; And We called out to him: “O Abraham! You have fulfilled the dream” Verily! Thus do We reward the Muhsinûn (good-doers). Verily, that indeed was a manifest trial and We ransomed him with a great sacrifice and We left for him (a goodly remembrance) among generations (to come) in later times. Salâmun (peace) be upon Ibrâhim!”

After seeing the dream, Ibrahim (as) transcended all logic and sacrificed his most beloved possession, his own son, for the sake of Allah.

Wisdom of Sacrifice

Sacrifice is the symbol of full obedience and total submission to Allah

Ibrahim’s (as) obedience, loyalty and sacrifice greatly earned the pleasure of Allah Subhana Watala and he was declared as a Muhsin and Khalil Allah (Friend of Allah) and his name and his sacrifice is remembered till this day. Five times a day, Muslims send their blessings on Ibrahim (as) along with Muhammad (saw)

Allah Tala expects the same obedience and sacrifice from His slaves. In front of the command of Allah, there should be no excuses.

In remembrance of this sacrifice of Ibrahim (as), Muslims all over the world make a commitment that Oh Lord of the Worlds; We are your obedient slaves. Everything we possess belongs to you. If you command us, we will sacrifice our lives for the sake of Islam.

Thus sunnat of Sacrifice offered every year is actually the expression of a salve’s love for his Creator. The word Qurbani is derived from the word “Qurb”- nearness. Sacrifice is thus a form of worship through which love and nearness of Allah can be attained.

Allah Tala says in Surah Anam 162:

“Say (O Prophet Muhammad saw) Indeed my prayer, my sacrifice, my life and my death are all for the sake of Allah”

While sacrificing, if this state and if these feelings of love and total obedience to Allah are not there, then merely shedding the blood of animals and distributing meat are all activities without any spirit.

Allah Tala does not need blood of animals nor meat from animals. All that He requires from His slaves is the Taqwa, obedience and the feelings of self sacrifice for their Lord.

Allah Tala says in Surah Hajj:

“It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allâh, but it is piety from you that reaches Him”

Thus the real spirit of sacrifice is that a man should leave his bad habits, stop following his wishes and desires and stop following traditions. Man should leave and sacrifice all those things in this world which stop him from attaining nearness to Allah.

What to do in the first ten days of ZulHajjah?

Recite the masnoon dua when sighting the moon of ZulHajjah.

Recite the Takbiraat as much as possible from the 1st ZulHajjah to the 13th of ZulHajjah.

After sighting the moon of ZulHajjah, do not cut or trim your hair and nails until you have offered the sacrifice. As Rasool Allah saw has ordered:

“When any one of you intending to sacrifice the animal enters in the month (of Dhu’l-Hijja) he should not get his hair or nails touched (cut)”(Muslim 22: 4870)

Perform good deeds (Fasting, charity, voluntary prayers, zikr, etc) as much as possible.

Observe the fast of 9th ZulHajjah, as this leads to expiation of sins of the preceding year and the year to follow.

What to do on Eid Day?

Do not eat anything on Eid ul Adha until after the Eid Prayer and the sacrifice; as this was the sunnah of Rasool Allah saw.

While on the way for Eid Prayer, recite the Takbiraat loudly.

Rasool Allah saw ordered all Muslim women, young girls and even women in monthly impurity to come out for Eid prayers. If they don’t have a veil, they should borrow it from someone while women in monthly impurity should stay away from the Musallah.(Bukhari 15:96)

21 thoughts on “Importance of First Ten Days of Zil Hajj and Sacrifice”

Preparing for a lonely Eid-ul-Adha here in UK as before. There aren’t many Muslims in this part of Northern Ireland. Most of them already went to Pakistan.
I want to ask one thing. How would I participate in Qurbani? Can someone offer Qurbani in my place in Pakistan? Or is there any qaza just like Namaz? I shall be thankful to you for guidance.

In brief, you can send the money to a family member or a friend, who can then buy the animal on your behalf for sacrifice.

He can also give the money to an organization which has arranged for a mass scale sacrifice. such as Edhi… but the money HAS to be used for buying a sacrificial animal or a part in a cow/ camel etc … it can not be used for other charity purposes…

Do see the presentation for more clarity as this is just my humble understanding of the issue. And Allah knows Best.

Just a small question. If someone’s offering sacrifice during Hajj, does he have to make another sacrifice separately?

Scenario:
I’m expected to offer Hajj this year insha’ALLAH. What i wanted to know was, besides offering the sacrifice that is one of the manaasik of Hajj, do i have to make another sacrifice back in Pakistan in my name? I’m a bit confused. Different people have given me different opinions and i can’t find the needful info. Your reference will be highly appreciated. Thanks.

@Abdullah
I’ll go to Belfast, not far from here. There is a large Masjid and an Islamic centre there and they have organised programes for Eid too. I’d be a total stranger, but may be I’d find someone there, who knows😉

If you pay your zakat while you are visiting USA, will you again pay your zakat when you come back to Pakistan? I think not. If your obligation is complete, why would you do it again if your location is changed?

Once you perform the Qurbani as a manasik of Hajj, why would you do it again in Pakistan? I haven’t heard any hadith that Rasool Allah did such a thing nor of any sahaba doing another Qurbani in Madina. If you have any such hadith please do let me know.

There has to be undeniable evidence to perform an act of worship, not suppositions and saying of people without authentic evidence.

My parents Alhamdulilah have already left for Hajj and they will not be doing Qurbani here in Pakistan.

And Allah Knows Best. I am no scholar and this is just my own reasoning and understanding. If you do find a reference regarding this matter, please post it here as well.

I wish we could all say “Assalam o Alaikum” in it’s full form, instead of writing just three letters. I mean, we type away hundreds and thousands of letters per day, so these 15 letters won’t take so much of our time. Similarly, I’ve seen iA instead of InshaAllah, alhum instead of Alhumdulillah, and Wsalam instead of Walaikum Assalam.

I really enjoy reading your blog, by the way, although I’ve never commented🙂

Following are the wonderful acts of Ibaadah for the month of ZulHajjah and only 6 days are left so lets expedite our acts of Ibaadah and taste the fruits of it.

Perfect days for perfect Ibaadah
By Asma bint Shameem

Alhamdulillaah……the blessed days are here one more time!

The glorious days when rewards are multiplied many times, and sins are forgiven much more…

the days in which Allaah gives us yet another chance to worship Him, to ask for forgiveness and correct our faults and make up for our shortcomings….

the blessed days that the Sahabah waited for…

the beautiful days in which they strived long and hard in worship, until they could do no more….

What are these magnificent days?

These blessed days are the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.

Just like the last ten nights of Ramadaan are the best ten nights out of the whole year, the Ulama tell us that out of the 365 days of the year, these first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah are the best days of the year and the most beloved to Allaah as they combine acts of worship in a way unlike any other times.

The Prophet testified to that. He said: “There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allaah than these ten days.” The people asked, “Not even jihaad for the sake of Allaah?” He said, “Not even jihaad for the sake of Allaah, except in the case of a man who went out to fight giving himself and his wealth up for the cause, and came back with nothing.” (Bukhaari)

Subhaan Allaah wal-Hamdulillaah!

What a blessing!

The question is…..what do I do on these magnificent days and how can I make the most of this perfect, golden, golden opportunity to earn rewards and Jannah?

Obviously, Hajj is one of the best deeds that one can do during these ten days. However for those of us who were not invited to His House this year, there are still many, many good deeds that one can do and earn the Pleasure of Allaah.

Some of these are:

1) Fast all nine days and especially fast the Day of ‘Arafah

The Prophet said: “Anyone who fasts for one day for Allah’s pleasure, Allah will keep his face away from the (Hell) fire for (a distance covered by a journey of) seventy years.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
Just imagine…..if you fast these nine days (fasting on Eid is haraam), how far your distance will be from hell!
The Prophet used to fast on the ninth day of Dhu’l-Hijjah and he said: “Fasting the Day of ‘Arafah (ninth Dhul-hijjah) is an expiation for (all the sins of) the previous year and an expiation for (all the sins of) the coming year.” (Muslim)

2) Do a LOT of Dhikr and Takbeer

The Prophet said: “There are no days on which good deeds are greater or more beloved to Allaah than on these ten days, so recite much Tahleel (saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah), Takbeer (saying Allaahu akbar) and Tahmeed (saying al-hamdu Lillaah).” (Ahmad -Saheeh)

Ibn ‘Umar and Abu Hurayrah used to go out in the marketplace during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, reciting Takbeer, and the people would recite Takbeer when they heard them. (Bukhaari)

Takbeer at this time is a Sunnah that has mostly been forgotten, especially during the first few days. So say it in the masjid, in your home, on the street and every place where it is permitted to remember Allaah. Revive the Sunnah that have been virtually forgotten and earn great rewards for doing so.

The Prophet said: “Whoever revives an aspect of my Sunnah that is forgotten after my death, he will have a reward equivalent to that of the people who follow him, without it detracting in the least from their reward.” (Tirmidhi- a hasan hadeeth)

Obviously, men should recite these phrases out loud, and women should recite them quietly.

3)Stand in Night Prayers:

Remember the virtues of spending the night in prayer, and its sweetness in Ramadan?! Why not revive this beautiful act of worship during these nights as well?!

Remember, how in the last third of every night, Allah Almighty calls out to us, His servants:
Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to his invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him? (Bukhaari, Muslim)

Why do we miss this golden opportunity?
So, seize the chance NOW and expose yourself to His Divine Generosity and Mercy, ask Him to forgive you and guide you and set things aright. He will surely listen.

4) Make Sincere Repentance.

One of the best and most important things to do during these ten days is to repent sincerely to Allaah and to give up all kinds of disobedience and sin right away because we do not know when we will die, and also because one evil deed leads to another.

But what does ‘repentance’ exactly mean?

It means that you come back to Allaah and give up all the deeds, open and secret, that He dislikes…. that you regret whatever you did in the past, giving it up immediately and be determined never ever, to return to it, and resolve to adhere firmly to the Truth by doing whatever Allaah loves.

“But as for him who repented, believed and did righteous deeds, then he will be among those who are successful.” [al-Qasas 28:67]

5) Come back to the Qur’aan

It is time now to dust off your copy of the Qur’aan and return to its refuge.Make it a daily habit, using these 10 days the beginning of a strong and beautiful relationship with it. Read it with meaning, understand it, and then implement it and change your lives for the better, as much as you can.

Remember that reading one letter of the Qur’aan earns you 10 rewards.

In this way, reading Surat Al-Fatihah,which doesn’t take more than two minutes will give you more than one thousand rewards!

This is on ordinary days, so what about these magnificent days! Certainly the reward will be far greater, Insha Allaah.

6) Generally increase in doing ALL good deeds

We should strive in doing more good deeds in general, because good deeds are beloved by Allaah and will bring us closer to Him. So if we are not able to go to Hajj this year, we should occupy ourselves during these blessed days by worshipping Allaah, praying extra prayers, reading Qur’aan, remembering Allaah, sending Salaams on the Prophet , making dua, giving charity, honoring our parents, upholding ties of kinship, enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, and other good deeds and acts of worship.

“So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it; And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it.”[al-Zalzalah 99:7-8]

7) Get the reward of Hajj wherever you are:

You may be unable to do Hajj this year, and you may feel sad because you are deprived of the great reward of Hajj. But you can achieve a similar reward in whatever place you may be.

The Prophet said: “Whoever prays Fajr Prayer in congregation, and then sits and remembers Allah until the sun rises, then (after a while) prays two rak’as, he will gain a reward equal to that of making perfect Hajj and Umrah.” [He repeated the word “perfect” thrice.] (At-Tirmidhi)

Isn’t that easy, Alhamdulillah?

8) Slaughter an animal and distribute the meat

Ibn Umar said: The Prophet lived in Madeenah for 10 years and every year he slaughtered an animal.” (Ahmad-Saheeh by al-Albaani)

9) Attend Eid prayers

But remember that Eid prayer is a form of worship and we shouldn’t be doing things that are unIslaamic (especially) during these times, such as listening to music, women going out for prayer without proper Hijaab, mixing of men and women, etc.

10) Thank Allaah

One of the biggest forms of worshipping Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’ala is to thank Him, deeply, sincerely and continuously. After all, it is He who gave you every single thing that is in you, on you or around you. In fact, you wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for the Mercy of your Creator. So thank Him for ALL that He gave you, the Islaam that He gave you, the very life He gave you. And thank Him for the chance that He gives you in these ten days, to ask for forgiveness and guidance.

Alhamdulillah, there is much to be gained in these days. So make the most of this perfect opportunity offered by these invaluable and irreplaceable ten days.

Hasten to do good deeds and appreciate this blessing and make the most of it, striving hard in worship .

This is not for self promotion while I am already in Jav’s blog roll. It’s just for those who have not visited that place yet and my post *might* increase their interest and they visit the place.who knows I get reward of it?

JazakumuLLAH khair for the clarification. i couldn’t check your answers before, just saw them now. And guess what, you were right🙂 … I had rechecked with my Mu’allim and he clarified it to me over there.